Simcenter Femap is a standalone, CAD-agnostic finite-element pre- and post-processor. Tightly integrated with Simcenter Nastran but able to drive most major solvers (Abaqus, Ansys, LS-DYNA, MSC Nastran), it is the tool of choice for aerospace, defence and structural engineering teams who need a focused, high-performance FEA environment independent of any specific CAD platform.
Why teams pick Femap
- CAD-agnostic — imports NX, CATIA, Creo, SolidWorks and neutral formats (STEP, IGES, Parasolid) without locking the workflow to a single CAD vendor.
- Solver-agnostic — native Nastran integration, but generates solver input decks for Abaqus, Ansys, LS-DYNA and MSC Nastran. Existing solver investments are preserved.
- Performance on large models — purpose-built meshing and post-processing engine handles multi-million element models without the overhead of an integrated CAD environment.
- API and automation — Python, BASIC and visual programming for batch meshing, load-case automation, and custom post-processing pipelines. Reduces repetitive setup on families of similar structures.
- Rich post-processing — stress, strain, displacement, fatigue damage, frequency response and transient results with full XY plotting, animation and custom result templates.
Analysis types
- Linear and non-linear statics — stress, strain, factor of safety, contact.
- Normal modes and frequency response — modal analysis, harmonic response, random vibration (PSD).
- Transient response — time-domain structural response under shock and dynamic loading.
- Thermal and heat transfer — steady-state and transient conduction, convection and radiation; coupled thermo-structural analysis.
- Buckling — linear and non-linear buckling of thin-walled structures.
- Composite analysis — laminated plates and shells with failure indices (Tsai-Wu, Puck, Hashin).
- Fatigue — S-N and ε-N fatigue life estimation from stress results.
The Femap solver ecosystem
Femap is the pre/post-processor; the solver does the computation. The three solvers most commonly paired with Femap are now all part of the Siemens portfolio — which means DDSPLM can advise on and supply the full stack.
Simcenter Nastran The standard bundle for Femap is Femap + Simcenter Nastran. Nastran has been the contractual solver requirement in aerospace and defence programmes for decades — its solution sequences (SOL 101 linear static, SOL 103 normal modes, SOL 105 buckling, SOL 108/111 frequency response, SOL 109/112 transient response, SOL 200 optimisation) map directly to the analysis types Femap exposes in its solution-set definition. Licensing is available as XaaS subscription (annual, named-user or token-pool) or perpetual with maintenance.
Altair OptiStruct OptiStruct is Altair’s structural solver — and since Siemens acquired Altair in 2025, OptiStruct is now part of the Simcenter family. OptiStruct covers linear and non-linear statics, normal modes, frequency response, and transient response, but its differentiator is topology, topography, size and shape optimisation built into the same solver run rather than bolted on as a post-process. Teams using Femap for detailed FEA often reach for OptiStruct when the brief includes a lightweighting or packaging constraint. DDSPLM supplies OptiStruct as part of the combined Siemens + Altair portfolio.
Altair Radioss Radioss is an explicit dynamics solver — the right tool when the problem involves impact, crash, blast, or large deformation where an implicit Nastran run would not converge. Radioss shares the Altair/Siemens licensing pool with OptiStruct and HyperWorks. Pre/post for Radioss is typically handled through Altair HyperWorks (HyperMesh + HyperView), though Femap is sometimes used for model preparation on programmes that require a common pre-processing environment.
Industries using Femap in India
Aerospace and defence — primary and secondary structure analysis, pressure vessel and fuselage panels, aeroelastics, engine bracket and mount analysis, GVT model correlation, composite fuselage and wing structures. Femap’s solver-agnosticism suits programmes where Nastran is the contractual requirement but the CAD environment varies.
Automotive — body-in-white stiffness, subframe and cradle analysis, brake disc and caliper thermal-structural, durability simulation on suspension components, impact and crash preprocessing for LS-DYNA.
Industrial machinery — pressure vessels, heat exchangers, rotating machinery (discs, shafts, housings), lifting equipment and crane structures under AS/EN standards.
Electronics and semiconductor — PCB-level structural analysis for solder joint fatigue, package stress under thermal cycling, board-level vibration for IPC-9701 qualification.
Common questions about Femap
What is Simcenter Nastran and how does it relate to Femap? Simcenter Nastran is the solver — it performs the finite-element computation. Femap is the pre/post-processor — it builds the mesh, applies loads and boundary conditions, submits the solver run, and displays results. Most teams license both together. Femap can also submit to MSC Nastran, Abaqus or Ansys if the organisation has existing solver licences.
How does Femap compare to Simcenter 3D? Simcenter 3D is embedded inside NX and designed for teams running a tight CAD-to-simulation workflow on Siemens geometry. Femap is standalone and CAD-neutral — the right choice when the CAD mix is heterogeneous (CATIA, Creo, SolidWorks alongside NX) or when the simulation team works independently of CAD. Both drive Nastran; the decision is usually about workflow integration rather than solver capability.
What are Femap licensing options? Femap is available on subscription (annual, named-user or token-pool) and perpetual licence with maintenance. Token-pool licensing lets a team share capacity across Femap and other Simcenter products, which suits smaller teams with variable simulation load. See Simcenter licensing for details.
Can Femap handle composites? Yes. Femap supports full composite laminate modelling — ply layup definition, material orientation, and failure index evaluation using Tsai-Wu, Puck, Hashin and other criteria. Output includes ply-by-ply stress and strain, margin of safety per ply, and interlaminar shear.
Related
- FEA simulation overview — compare Femap with Simcenter 3D, HyperMesh and other FEA tools we support.
- CAE simulation services — outsource structural, thermal and dynamic analysis to our Femap/Nastran team.
- Simcenter 3D — integrated CAE environment for teams on an NX CAD workflow.
- Simcenter licensing — Femap subscription, perpetual and token-pool options.